The Postal Service serves a vital role for American commerce and the American people, as we have for over 240 years.  Congress structured the Postal Service to pay for our universal retail, processing and delivery network entirely through the sale of high-quality mail and package products and services, without receiving any tax revenues to support our operations.  To ensure that we can continue to provide prompt, reliable, and efficient universal postal services in a self-sufficient fashion in today’s increasingly digital world, fundamental statutory reforms to the structure under which we are required to operate are needed.

As we have repeatedly stressed, these business model problems are serious, but solvable, and the President’s executive order establishing the Task Force on the United States Postal System provides an opportunity to further consider these important public policy issues.  An open and transparent review process in which the perspectives of all stakeholders are fully represented to develop reform proposals could benefit American businesses and consumers.

While these recommendations are being developed and then considered by the President and Congress, it remains necessary to put the Postal Service on firmer financial footing through immediate legislative and regulatory reform.  We therefore continue to urge Congress to enact the pending postal reform legislation and the Postal Regulatory Commission to replace the current price cap on our mailing products.  We will continue to aggressively manage our business, and to serve the American public.